If you’re beginning to prepare documents for the patent process, it’s best to have someone on your side. The USPTO defines three categories of patents which are design, plant, and utility patents. That being said, it takes much more than choosing a category in order to have your patent application filled out properly. With that in mind, here are three benefits of hiring a patent lawyer.

1. Immense Time Savings
   
   If you’re unaware of to properly prepare a patent, you’ll definitely want to consider having an attorney on your side. Considering that, patent law can be especially daunting to those who have never prepared documentation. That being said, many who have prepared these documents often have someone with patent law knowledge look their documents over. If you have multiple patents to file, it’s definitely best to have a patent lawyer help you with these tasks.
2. Help With Preparing Patent Documentation
   
   Statistics show that the United States Patent Office now receives six times the application that it did in 1980. Considering that, it’s important to make sure that your patent documentation is properly filled out the first time around. You don’t want to get your application denied, only to have to wait through the approval process a second time. Those wanting to have patents prepared correctly the first time around often have had assistance from a lawyer to ensure no errors were found within a patent application.
3. Protection Representation Against Potential Infringements
   
   Unfortunately, you might find yourself in situations in which someone has infringed upon one of your patents. These types of situations certainly aren’t rare. In fact, statistics gathered from analytics firm Lex Machina found that just in 2016 alone there were 4,537 patent infringement suits filed. When this happens to you, it’s vital that you have a lawyer on your side. Considering that, someone with knowledge of the patent process will be able to quickly find out exactly what type of infringement has occurred. In turn, you’re able to begin having a case prepared on your behalf.

In closing, it’s best to hire a patent lawyer when preparing a patent of your own. A lawyer will be able to help you save a lot of time versus preparing patent application documents on your own. In the event that someone infringes upon your patent, having a lawyer on your side helps to provide you with professional representation right away.